Releases

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Thursday released their schedule for the 2008-09 season, their 13th overall and eighth as members of the American Hockey League.

The primary affiliate of the 2008 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings will begin its 80-game slate on Saturday, Oct. 11 in Cleveland against the Lake Erie Monsters, marking the debut of new Grand Rapids head coach Curt Fraser. After starting with three straight road contests, the Griffins will welcome the Hamilton Bulldogs to Van Andel Arena on Saturday, Oct. 25 for Griffins Opening Night presented by Northwest Airlines – the latest date for a home opener in franchise history – as they look to extend their perfect streak of opening-night sellouts to 13.

Highlights of the schedule include:

• Twenty-eight prime home dates (15 Fridays and 13 Saturdays), tying for the most in team history;

• The first-ever visits to Van Andel Arena by the Hartford Wolf Pack (Nov. 14), Manchester Monarchs (Nov. 26) and Iowa Chops, who will provide the opposition for the Griffins’ 12th annual New Year’s Eve Bash. The trio are among 19 opponents that comprise the most diverse schedule in franchise history;

• The lone 2008-09 appearance by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and their new head coach, Grand Haven, Mich., native and former NHLer Dan Bylsma, on Nov. 21;

• Numerous holiday home games, including the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday surrounding Thanksgiving (Nov. 26-29), and a pair of contests immediately after Christmas (Dec. 26-27).

Two large segments of the schedule should prove key to the Griffins’ fortunes. From Nov. 26 to Feb. 7, they will play 22 of 33 games within the friendly confines of Van Andel Arena, while from March 22 to April 5, they will face a franchise-record eight-game road trip. Other challenges will include 10 instances of three games in three nights (compared to six last season) and six times in which they’ll play four games in five nights (four in 2007-08). One of those three-in-threes, Feb. 20-22, will mark just the second time in the team’s 13 seasons that the Griffins will play three home games in as many nights.

With five exceptions, all Griffins home games will begin at 7 p.m. In addition to the noon start on Nov. 11 and 4 p.m. faceoffs for three Sunday games, the Dec. 6 contest will start at 8 p.m. due to an arena event earlier that day.

Griffins full-season, mini-plan and group ticket packages for the 2008-09 season are now on sale. For more information, click here or call the Griffins office at (616) 774-4585.